The TRI-4, or wedge, bridge, was designed by the Gibson R&D department in Kalamazoo, by Tim Shaw and Chuck Burge - initially appearing on the first bass that they designed together, the Gibson Victory, and later the Explorer. The TRI-4 was a real step forward from the three point tune-o-matic fitted to the majority of Gibson basses prior to this time, with each saddle being separately adjustable in all three axes, without any need to raise posts (and hence the bridge base unit itself). A very similar bridge is still used by Gibson to date.
The patent, no. 4,385,543, entitled 'Adjustable Bridge for a Stringed Musical Instrument' was filed in June 1981, and granted in May 1983. At the same time, a separate design patent (no. 269,524) was filed for the design of the Victory bass itself, also granted in 1983.
The bridge units themselves, although designed in the US, were manufactured for Gibson by Schaller in West Germany.
For more information and images (both unmounted and in situ) of this bridge unit, see the FlyGuitars page dedicated to this bridge Gibson TRI-4 wedge bridge, and the original description in the 1981 Gibson Victory bass owners manual.
Gibson Victory bass for sale
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VINTAGE 1981 Sunburst Gibson Victory Artist Series 4 String Bass Guitar w / Case
Interlochen, Michigan, 496**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1620
Vintage 1981 Gibson Victory Artist Series 4-String Bass Guitar ?? Sunburst Finish ?? w / Original Case & Manual
Up for sale is a rare vintage 1981 Gibson Victory Artist Series bass guitar in a beautiful sunburst finish. This model was part of Gibson??s early ??80s ??Victory?? line, designed for versatility and modern tone
Year / Model: 1981 Gibson Victory Artist Series (4-string)
Finish: Classic Sunburst
Pickups: Professionally upgraded with custom EMG pickups (not original) ... more
Up for sale is a rare vintage 1981 Gibson Victory Artist Series bass guitar in a beautiful sunburst finish. This model was part of Gibson??s early ??80s ??Victory?? line, designed for versatility and modern tone
Year / Model: 1981 Gibson Victory Artist Series (4-string)
Finish: Classic Sunburst
Pickups: Professionally upgraded with custom EMG pickups (not original) ... more
Gibson Victory Artist Bass 81'
Blackfoot, Idaho, 832**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3800
This a killer bass and a total P bass killer. Gibson released these to compete with the p bass and they are far, far, better quality. Mahogany body, Mable neck, brass nut, active and passive humbuckers with MOOG electronics! All original with the original case. The original case is pretty beat up with a buckle replaced but still road Worthy. Original paperwork still with it. The guitar is set up to play easy with a low action and great sound. One bridge saddle is missing the riser but works ... more
GIBSON VICTORY STANDARD BASS GUITAR - RARE
Saint Petersburg, Florida, 337**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1550
GIBSON VICTORY STANDARD BASS GUITAR - Serial # 81831614 - 1981 - Monday July 2nd - Nashville TN - Production # 614, beautiful guitar, professional players guitar, the case was made by Quest
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1981 Gibson Victory Bass Red
New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1595
Vintage 1981 Gibson Victory Bass in original red finish
A killer bass with a nice fat tone and superb playability
This baby is a RED BEAST!
Bass plays and sounds fantastic.
Some honest signs of age and wear throughout
Completely original
Comes with nice brown hardshell case
Guitar is exactly as pictured.
Buyer pays $125 shipping in the USA, $150 to Hawaii or Alaska, $400 International, $450 to Australia
Pay Pal Accepted
International Buyers ? Please Note: ... more
A killer bass with a nice fat tone and superb playability
This baby is a RED BEAST!
Bass plays and sounds fantastic.
Some honest signs of age and wear throughout
Completely original
Comes with nice brown hardshell case
Guitar is exactly as pictured.
Buyer pays $125 shipping in the USA, $150 to Hawaii or Alaska, $400 International, $450 to Australia
Pay Pal Accepted
International Buyers ? Please Note: ... more
Vintage Gibson Victory Artist Bass Guitar 1982 Candy Apple Red with Case #2205
Robertsville, Missouri, 630**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1850
This bass guitar plays great and plays smooth. To my knowledge everything is original except for the volume / tone knobs themselves and the toggle switches. This bass plays great and has incredibly nice sounding electronics. The electronics give you a large variety of tones. Being a 1982 bass guitar, it does have a decent amount of scratches, indentions, and finish checking. This is all just cosmetics and doesn??t affect how it plays. This bass plays well and also comes with the original hard ... more
1981 Gibson Victory Standard Bass Silver
Westland, Michigan, 481**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1800
The 1981 Gibson Victory Standard Bass is a classic electric bass guitar known for its solid silver body color and durable construction. Made in the United States, this 4-string bass guitar exudes a timeless appeal with its Gibson brand pedigree and standard series design. Perfect for musicians looking for a reliable and high-quality instrument to accompany their band or recordings, the Gibson Victory Standard Bass continues to be a sought-after choice for bass players seeking a vintage yet ... more
1981 Gibson Victory bass guitar
Brighton, UNITED KINGDOM
£2200
Very rare 1981 Gibson Victory bass in gorgeous cherry red. Had a recent service in May 24. Comes with leather strap and a generic case to carry it in. Plays excellently, just some obvious cosmetic damage to paint as it was made over 40 years ago. Please inspect all photos and message for any questions
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Gibson Victory Bass gebraucht
Leimen, 69***, GERMANY
€750
Gibson Victory BassSiehe Fotos Gebrauchsspuren an der Kopfplatte und an der Korpusrückseite.... more
VINTAGE 1982 USA GIBSON VICTORY BASS GUITAR TUNER
Monza, 20***, ITALY
€50
Early eighties Gotoh tuners part number 14102.
Gibson used these on the Victory Standard and Victory Artist basses from 1981, and occasionally the Victory Custom later in 1982
Hard to find, very rare and no longer produced
Very good condition, see pictures
Price for one tuner, available 4 tuners
Private auction, non guarantee
European bidders please email me for postage costs
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Gibson used these on the Victory Standard and Victory Artist basses from 1981, and occasionally the Victory Custom later in 1982
Hard to find, very rare and no longer produced
Very good condition, see pictures
Price for one tuner, available 4 tuners
Private auction, non guarantee
European bidders please email me for postage costs
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1981 Gibson Victory Bass Guitar
Dumbarton, G82***, UNITED KINGDOM
£1231
All original 1981 Gibson Standard Victory Bass in Silver including the original HSC
A great example of a really rare vintage Gibson Bass. These are few an far between in the UK as you can see from the other listings on eBay and Reverb. I imported it from the US around 15 years ago. It has a great neck and plays really nicely
The Bass is in excellent playing condition, the original hardshell case is solid but the tolex has seen better days although, the lining is in great condition ... more
A great example of a really rare vintage Gibson Bass. These are few an far between in the UK as you can see from the other listings on eBay and Reverb. I imported it from the US around 15 years ago. It has a great neck and plays really nicely
The Bass is in excellent playing condition, the original hardshell case is solid but the tolex has seen better days although, the lining is in great condition ... more